Chapter 54

Serena's POV

Caiden’s words hung in the air between us, thick with meaning, heavy with something I felt wasn't right. My pulse thudded against my throat as I stared at him, his amber eyes burning with conviction.

“Stop trying to do that,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected.

His brow quirked. “Do what?”

“Trying to dismiss Aeson and Hades.” I crossed my arms, my heart pounding harder. “They’re my mates too.” I didn’t mean to sound so assertive, but I couldn’t help it.

A shadow flickered across his face, but it was gone in a blink. “I know.” He exhaled sharply. “But you don’t need to take the whole time to make a decision.”

I let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. “I’ve got three months to decide, Caiden. Does that seem like forever to you?”

“No.” He stepped closer, his presence looming but not in a way that scared me. In a way that unsettled me. “Do you know why Hades told you to take your time? It’s not because he’s noble—it’s for his selfish reasons.”

My stomach twisted. “Caiden—”

“No, listen to me.” His voice dropped, earnest and unrelenting. “I know him just as well as he claims to know me. We’ve been friends for over a decade, Serena. We all know each other.”

I stared at him, searching his face. “And you’re talking like this behind his back? Throwing them under the bus?”

“I'm not. I know he didn’t ask you to wait out of goodwill.”

“Goodness. You're being ridiculous."

His jaw tightened. “I’m not. We have our differences, but when it comes to you, I just want you to see things clearly.” He paused, stepping even closer, his warmth brushing against my skin. “Hades told you to take 100 days because he didn’t want you to reject him outright.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. He’s being considerate. Which is… unlikely of him. But it’s true.”

Caiden scoffed. “No, he’s not.”

“Stop it, Caiden.”

“Serena—”

I held up my hand, cutting him off. “I just don’t get why you’re being like this.” His expression was tense, his frustration leaking through, but there was something else too—something raw.

“Can we just go back to the company now?” I sighed, suddenly exhausted. “We’ve spent almost an hour here.”

Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked toward his car, slipping into the front seat.

A minute later, Caiden got in beside me, but he didn’t start the car right away. Instead, he turned to me, his eyes softer now, more contemplative.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was quieter, almost hesitant.

I blinked at him. “For what?”

“For how I spoke.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I feel like you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad.” I looked away, pressing my lips together.

“You sure?”

I nodded.

He sighed. “I’ll get you something sweet as a peace offering.”

I glanced at him, confused. “Peace offering?”

“Yeah.” He smirked. “You’ll love it. Give me a moment.”

Before I could protest, he was already out of the car, heading toward an ice cream stall.

I watched him go, my fingers idly tracing the edge of my skirt. Caiden was frustrating, reckless, and persistent—but he was also… trying. And that made it hard to completely push him away.

My gaze drifted across the road absently—until I saw something that made my breath hitch.

A car.

The driver's seat.

Someone ducked.

My heartbeat spiked.

I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the tinted window as it slowly rolled up. Whoever it was must have realized I was watching because the movement was fast, almost panicked.

But for a split second, I caught a glimpse.

Blue eyes.

A flash of something in my mind.

Hades.

My breath stilled.

The car turned sharply, pulling onto the road. I barely had time to register the plate number before it disappeared into traffic.

Was that really him?

Had he followed us?

No. I’m sure it was just some other person. Certainly a jerk. This happens all the time in this city. Crazy boys can’t just keep it all together in their pants.

The thought churned in my mind, thick and intrusive, as I tried to brush off the unease curling around my stomach. It wasn’t the first time I’d caught a stranger staring too long or lurking too close. It shouldn’t have meant anything. But still, the prickle at the back of my neck refused to go away.

Just then, Caiden returned, stepping out of his car with a lazy grin stretched across his lips. In his hands was a paper bag, grease-stained and smelling of sugar and warmth.

“Peace offering,” he declared, tossing the bag into my hands.

I peeked inside. Donuts. With sprinkles.

"Seriously?" I raised a brow, barely suppressing the twitch of my lips.

"Hey, sprinkles are underrated. Plus, I figured you'd need some sugar after that ice cream tragedy." His voice held a teasing lilt.

I huffed a laugh. “It wasn’t a tragedy.”

“You dropped half of it on your shirt, Serena. That’s a tragedy.”

I rolled my eyes, but the weight in my chest felt lighter. He had that effect—annoyingly so.

"Well, enjoy the donuts, princess," he added, stepping back toward his car. "Try not to drop them, yeah?"

"Shut up," I muttered, but I was smiling as he drove off.

By the time we arrived at the company, the atmosphere had shifted. The moment we stepped into the foyer, Aeson was already there, his arms crossed, his jaw tight.

"Where the hell did you take her?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

Caiden barely flinched. "I'm not answerable to you, Aeson," he said, scratching his temple with a lazy flick of his fingers.

I glanced around. People were staring. Great. I had no interest in playing the centerpiece of a testosterone-fueled spectacle.

“I went out with Caiden,” I interjected quickly, meeting Aeson’s intense gaze.

His eyes flicked to me, dark and questioning. “You didn’t tell anyone before leaving. You weren’t picking up your calls.”

I exhaled. “I left my phone in the car when we went for ice cream.”

Aeson sneered at Caiden. “You shouldn’t have taken her.”

Caiden shrugged. “Well, I did.”

Aeson’s expression hardened, suspicion rising in his tone as he demanded. “What happened out there? Between you two?”